Training Complete

As we have for nearly four months Team South Jersey once again strapped our bikes into carriers and headed to training. Today was different. Today we were heading to our last serious ride. Only one more ride remains after this before we send our bikes out to await us in Lake Tahoe where we will join thousands of others for America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride. Today we were joining our colleagues from Team North Jersey for our final training ride.

The course was laid out with four major ascents of varying grades and elevations and countless smaller ones over 85 miles through some of New Jersey’s picturesque areas. Trout streams, canopied byways, hilltop mansions and long vistas greeted us as we rode up and over nearly 4600 feet of total elevation. Rest stops were at quaint country stores in small quiet villages. It was hard to believe we were only 45 miles from Times Square!

It was a long day, for most of the team the longest ever in both miles and time in the saddle. We faced steep inclines, long ascents and sharp technical descents all of which combined to test out ability and conditioning and, although lacking the altitude of the Sierras, provided a good model against which to measure our preparedness. Even our hosts, who train in and around these hills regularly, noted that this was a tough course. It was a test and we passed! We passed with flying colors! We all rode the course, we never flagged or dismounted. We proved to ourselves and our hosts that Team South Jersey is ready!

Nineteen days remain. Nineteen days of recovery, maintenance and packing. Tune ups for our bikes and bodies. We will ride together next weekend but our training is complete. From here on out Team South Jersey is simply keeping in tune.

Tahoe, Here We Come!